Looking for answers...injured recruit.

Evening all,

I am a very proud parent of a Boot at MCRD San Diego, seeking any advice on my son having an injury during training.

Some background....

Before entering his Pool, my son had to receive a medical wavier for breaking a chip off his femoral growth plate when he was 12. The injury had healed long ago with zero side effects on his growth or physical abilities.. played sports etc... the waiver was granted and he had been PTing with his pool for over a year before shipping out a month ago.

During his 3rd week he started having some knee pain, took a fall and chipped off a piece of his femur, on the same knee he had injured almost 7 years ago. He was sent to MRP, the knee looked at by the Corpsman there at MCRD.

I was called and given a moment to speak with him, boost his morale. He wants nothing more than to be a Marine. He flat out refuses quit.

Tonight I received another call from him. He was told by one of the Corpsman there at MCRD that he would probably not be able to complete his training due to this being a pre-existing condition. That his medical waiver was a ticket to "come try" and see if his body could take the stress. He has NOT as of yet been told he has a disqualifying injury on any official level. My son has no quit in him. He said no matter how long it takes to rehab his knee he will do it.

Thus far he has had no rehab at all. It's been a week of sickbay appointments and down time.

My big questions for everyone... Who determines if his injury is disqualifying? I understood it to be a board of three Doctors. Also, if he has a chip of bone off his femur would they not be doing surgery to remove it then evaluate his status? He has not been sent to Balboa for any procedures that I would think anyone with a chipped femur would require. Can he request to be seen by a MRB should they try and kick him out?

He is so Gung Ho, and I am sick about his injury but so very proud of his drive and desire to heal and graduate. He has told every Corpsman he has seen that he is not quitting, period. The use of his medical waiver as an reason for not allowing him to rehab or even possibly separating him from the Corps is worrisome to me.

Thank you all for any advise you might have for me or answers to my questions.

Semper Fi.

has he had a complete work up on his injury by actual Doctors? not the Corpsmen from BAS or RAS (at least that what we used to call the aid stations), but actual doctors yet? Corpsmen know a lot but a Doctor will have to do a complete evaluation of his condition and recommend whether it can be rehabbed or not.

From all the information I have been given so far no. He has been going to some form of sickbay and being seen by Corpsman. Had the leg x-rayed and the injury determined. Do they have doctors there at MCRD for him to see? I was told by Balboa Naval Hospital that any broken bone injuries from MCRD would be treated there...yet he sits still in MRP now for a week.

My big questions for everyone... Who determines if his injury is disqualifying?

A medical board at the hospital would make the decision ,it would consist of 2 MD's,one would be Orthopedic certified and one MSC officer in most cases.

If he has been sitting at MRP and having appointment at sick call there is a medical reason.

Thank you DanM.

Would he be at this medical review or would the information be sent somewhere else to be determined? Since he is injured would they not be treating the broken bone off the femur? I know that would require surgery to remove the chip. The sick call visits I would think should be visits to Balboa for further treatment. Surely even if they do determine his injury is disqualifying they would treat said injury correct?

Thank to both you DanM and Irpat54 for helping me out with information.

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Originally Posted by Sax

Thank you DanM.

Would he be at this medical review or would the information be sent somewhere else to be determined? Since he is injured would they not be treating the broken bone off the femur? I know that would require surgery to remove the chip. The sick call visits I would think should be visits to Balboa for further treatment. Surely even if they do determine his injury is disqualifying they would treat said injury correct?

Thank to both you DanM and Irpat54 for helping me out with information.

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depending on the size of the chip, they could just scope it to remove the chip, if it is small enough, or minimal surgery if it's too big for the scoping, it shouldn't be that big of a deal, I wouldn't think anyway, bone chips are not that uncommon unless they figure he has a problem with weaker bones and is susceptible to this regularly.

Pretty hard to answer technichal medical questions unless you are a qualified Doctor.